Sewing kit



April 23, 1954 J. H. ELDER, JR 3,130,882

SEWING KIT Filed Jan. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

@- IIIIII II/III 5 III INVENTOR.

day/v M. 54052, 4e,

United States Patent 3,130,882 SEWING KIT John H. Elder, In, 7982-18 Bailey Court, Fort Knox, Ky. Filed Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 249,509 9 Claims. (Cl. 223-107) This invention relates to a novel sewing kit.

The primary object of the invention is the prov1s1on of an efficient, practical, and decorative device of the kind indicated, which is adapted to be suspended, as from a Wall, or otherwise propped in an upright position, when in use, and which provides rotary support for a plurality of thread spools, thread guides related to each spool through which thread is adapted to be selectively drawn, to the length needed, and a thread cutter adapted to cut withdrawn thread at the required length.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which comprises a container for miscellaneous articles, associated with sewing, a pin cushion, and a thimble holder, access to the container being through a front opening thereof closed by a hinged door which carries the thread cutter on its inner side, and the opening of which affords access to the free ends of the threads, and a thread holding spring which is helical with its coils serving as retainers and guides for the threads.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated, which is in the form of a stringed musical instrument, which serves as a decorative conversation piece, when not in use, and wherein the hollow body of the instrument serves as the container, and the thread spool storage means is carried by the neck of the instrument, the individual spools being journalled on simulated keys.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a sewing kit of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of the lower end of the kit;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 are horizontal sections taken on the lines 5-5, 66, and 7-7, respectively; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary front elevation, parts being broken away and in section, with the container opening and the thread holding spring exposed to show the free ends of threads engaged through the spring.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated sewing kit comprises a vertically elongated hollow container 10, representing the body or sound box of a stringed musical instrument, which is substantially oval or elliptical in plan. The container 10 has a threequarter circular upper portion 12 and a substantially oval lower portion 14, which is wider than the upper portion 12, and is truncated, at its upper end, and joined to the lower end of the upper portion.

The container 10 comprises parallel spaced front and rear plates 16 and 18, respectively, of the same shape, which are secured together by means of pins or dowels 20 which penetrate the front plate 16 and are evenly spaced around the perimeters of the plates and are suitably fixed thereto. At the center of the upper portion 12, of the front plate 16, is a circular opening 22 behind which is fixed a mirror 24, which serves the dual purposes of high-lighting threads passing thereacross and of acting as a vanity mirror and a decorative feature. An upwardly flaring polygonal access opening 26 is provided in the front plate 16 and is centered therein at the lower end of the lower container portion 14. The access opening 26 is normally closed by a door 28, which is larger in area than the access opening and similarly shaped. As shown in FIGURE 8, the access opening has a transversely elongated notch 30, in its upper edge, which has ends 32. A helical or coil thread retaining spring 34 is stretched between anchors 36 fixed to the upper edge 38 of the notch 30, adjacent to the notch ends 32. The free ends of threads drawn from the thread spool storage means are adapted to be removably secured, in an orderly segregated manner, between coils of the spring 34, as hereinafter detailed.

The door 28 has laterally spaced ears 40, on its upper edge, which are individually hinged, as indicated at 42, to the top plate 16, above the access opening 26, at opposite sides of and laterally spaced from the longitudinal centerline of the container 10. A V-shaped lug 44, extends downwardly from the center of the lower edge of the door 28, and extends below the lower end of the container, and, as shown in FIGURE 4, is formed with a hole 46, through which a stem 48 is adapted to be removably engaged. The stem 48 carries a thimble holder 50, of cork or the like, on which a thimble 52 is adapted to be removably engaged. An elastic cord loop 54, suitably secured, as indicated at 56, to the bottom plate 16, at the lower end thereof, is secured to the holder 50, at opposite sides thereof, and serves to prevent loss of the holder and to retain the stem 48 in place in the hole 46 and to keep the door 28 closed.

On the front of the door an upwardly tapering polygonal pin cushion 58 is mounted, which is shaped like and is centered relative to the door 28. The pin cushion 58 comprises a block 68 of foam rubber or the like, enclosed in a fabric cover 62 which is suitably secured to the front or outer surface of the door.

The container 10 has a sidewall 64, which is formed by lacing rattan or similar strips 65 through the spaces between the pins or dowels, the sidewall 64 being continuous around the lower portion 14 and the upper portion 12 of the container, except for the top of the upper portion, when the sidewall is discontinued to accommodate a horizontal brace block 66, which is fixed to and extends forwardly from the upper end of the lower plate 16 and is spaced rearwardly from the upper plate 14.

Engaged between and secured to the top plate 14 and the brace block 66, is the lower end of an upwardly extending neck 68, the forward side of which is notched, as indicated at 70, to receive the upper end of the top plate '14. As shown in FIGURES 11 and 4, the neck 6-8 is an elongated ilat plate which is disposed at righ angles to the top plate 14 and is aligned with the longitudinal centerline .of the container 10, and with the access opening notch 30 and the thread retaining spring 34. A fret board 72 extends vertically along the forward edge of the neck 68, is countersunk therein, and extends downwardly along an upper part of the top plate 14. The upper part 74 of the neck 68 is wider than the lower part 76 thereof, and the upper part 74 has a forwardly curved forward edge 78. The edge 78 is formed with a forwardly opening horizontal notch 80, adjacent to its upper end, which defines a forwardly curved hook 82, on the upper end of the neck.

An open rectangular vertical frame 84 has parallel vertical side members 86, a top cross member 88- having an ornamentally curved upper edge 90, and laterally inwardly and downwardly angled and spaced lower cross members 92. The lower cross members 92. engage and are suitably secured to opposite sides of the neck 68, at the upper end of the fret board '72, and the top cross member 88 is received in and secured in the notch 84 The frame side members 36 are formed with a number of vertically spaced, transversely aligned bores 94, through which the shanks as of simulated string tightening keys 98 are slidably journalled, the shanks caring freely, at their inward ends, against the opposite sides of the neck 68. As shown in FIGURE 5, the keys 98 are adapted to be withdrawn outwardly far enough to enable thread spools 1% to be engaged over the inward ends 102 of the key shanks 96, between the frame side members 86 and coil springs N4 which are secured to the neck 68, in line with the shanks, whereat the key shanks are pushed back in place, and whereby the spools are frictionally held against vagrant rotation on the shanks.

An upper horizontal thread guide 1% is suitably se cured to and extends horizontally across the forward surface of the fret board 72, at the upper end thereof, a similar intermediate thread guide 1% extends across the fret board, at its lower end, and a similar lower thread guide 110 extends across an ornamental plate 112, which is fixed to the front surface of the top plate 14, at a location spaced between the mirror opening 22 and the door 28. As shown in FIGURE 6, each of these thread guides can comprise a single wire having terminals :1 5, on its ends, severally secured to the fret board and the ornamental plate, and bent between the ends to provide closed cir cular loops 116, spaced therealong, and corresponding in number to and adapted to receive threads 118 from the thread spools 109.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, the threads 3118, after having been passed downwardly through the thread guides, are passed downwardly through coils of the retaining spring 34, in the container access opening 26, and have their free ends 120 hanging free.

As shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, a thread cutter 122 is mounted centrally on the back of the container door 28, in line with the threads 1118. The thread cutter comprises a razor blade 124- secured in a horizontal slot 126 in an inwardly or rearwardly extending block 127, fixed to the door, the block having a forwardly and inwardly extending centered vertical slot 128 through which an individual thread is adapted to be drawn against the razor blade for cutting the thread off at the desired length, after having been drawn off the related spool, through the thread guides. It is to be noted that the door 28, in its closed position, serves to retain the contents of the container, and to conceal the free ends 129 of the threads 118 and the retaining spring 34 thereby further afiording the device the normal appearance of a stringed musical instrument.

Although there has been shown and described a pre ferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening.

2. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, and a thread cutter mounted on the rear side of the door in line with said retaining means, with which individual threads drawn downwardly through the thread guides are adapted to be engaged and cut.

3. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate 7 above the access opening, and a thread cutter mounted on the rear side of the door in line with said retaining means with which individual threads drawn downwardly through the thread guides are adapted to be engaged and cut, said thread cutter comprising a block fixed to the door and extending inward-1y therefrom, said block having a horizontal slot, a razor blade engaged in the horizontal slot and having a rear cutting edge, said block having a vertical transverse slot exposing the edge of the blade.

4. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, thread spools rotatably carried by said journal means and having threads extending downwardly therefrom through the thread guides and secured through the retaining means, said guides having laterally spaced closed loops through which related threads individually pass, said retaining means comprising a horizontal coil spring having coils between which threads are frictionally engaged.

5. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably jour= nalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, said door having a pin cushion mounted on its front surface.

6. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journalling thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, thread spools rotatably carried by said journal means and having threads extending downwardly therefrom through the thread guides and secured through the retaining means, said guides having laterally spaced closed loops through which related threads indi vidually-pass, said retaining means comprising a horizontal coil spring having coils between which threads are frictionally engaged, and a mirror mounted on and exposed by the front plate between thread guides and located beneath the threads.

7. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably journailing thread spools thereon, vertically spaced horizontal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, thread spools rotatably carried by said journal means and having threads extending downwardly therefrom through the thread guides and secured through the retaining mean, said guides having laterally spaced closed loops through which related threads individually pass, said retaining means comprising a horizontal coil spring having coils between which threads are frictionally engaged, said journal means comprising an open frame fixed on the neck at the upper end thereof and having vertical side members spaced laterally outwardly from the neck, said side members being formed with vertically spaced horizontally aligned bores, keys having shanks slidably and rotatably engaged through the bores and normally extending across the spaces between the frame side members and the neck, springs on the neck aligned with the shanks, said thread spools being journalled on the key shanks between the springs and the frame side members.

8. In a sewing kit, a hollow container having a front plate and a back plate and a sidewall, a neck extending upwardly from the upper end of the container, journal means on the upper end of the neck for supportably jour- 3 nalhng thread spools thereon, VtiIUCEIllY spaced horrzon- 5 tal thread guides on the neck and the front plate, said front plate having a container access opening located near its lower end, thread segregating and retaining means mounted on the front plate within the access opening, and a door for the access opening hinged to the front plate above the access opening, said door having a lug on its lower edge extending below the lower end of the container, said lug being formed with a hole, a stem removably engaged through said hole, a stretched elastic cord connected to the stem and fixed to the rear container plate and holding the stern in place and the door closed, said stern having a thirnble holder on its forward end.

9. In a sewing kit, a vertically elongated elliptical hollow container simulating a stringed instrument sound box, said container having spaced front and rear plates and a peripheral sidewall extending between the plates, said sidewall comprising pins extending between and fixed to the front and rear plates adjacent to and spaced along their perimeters, and flexible strips woven through the spaces between adjacent pins, a neck fixed to and extending upwardly from the upper end of the container having a fret board fixed to and extending along its front edge, an open frame on the upper end of and extending to opposite sides of the neck, said frame having vertical side members spaced from opposite sides of the neck, vertically spaced and transversely aligned bores formed through said side members, string tighten-ing keys having shanks rotatably and slidably engaged through the bores, springs secured to opposite sides of the neck in line with the shanks, thread spools journalled on the shanks between the springs and the frame side members, said spools having threads extending downwardly therefrom, and thread guide means on the fret board and on the front plate through which the threads extend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 925,431 Gensler June 15, 1909 962,285 Witt June 21, 1910 2,328,955 Corder Sept. 7, 1943 2,600,784 Lesenyie June '17, 1952 

1. IN A SEWING KIT, A HOLLOW CONTAINER HAVING A FRONT PLATE AND A BACK PLATE AND A SIDEWALL, A NECK EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF THE CONTAINER, JOURNAL MEANS ON THE UPPER END OF THE NECK FOR SUPPORTABLY JOURNALLING THREAD SPOOLS THEREON, VERTICALLY SPACED HORIZONTAL THREAD GUIDES ON THE NECK AND THE FRONT PLATE, SAID FRONT PLATE HAVING A CONTAINER ACCESS OPENING LOCATED NEAR ITS LOWER END, THREAD SEGREGATING AND RETAINING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRONT PLATE WITHIN THE ACCESS OPENING, AND A DOOR FOR THE ACCESS OPENING HINGED TO THE FRONT PLATE ABOVE THE ACCESS OPENING. 